Fibrillar ß-lactoglobulin gels: Part 1. Fibril formation and structure

TY - JOUR

T1 - Fibrillar ß-lactoglobulin gels: Part 1. Fibril formation and structure

AU - Gosal, W S

AU - Clark, A H

AU - Ross-Murphy, S B

PY - 2004/11

Y1 - 2004/11

N2 - As a prelude to experimental and theoretical work on the mechanical properties of fibrillar beta-lactoglobulin gels, this paper reports the structural characterization of beta-lactoglobulin fibrils by electron and atomic force microscopy (AFM), infrared and Raman spectroscopy, and powder X-ray diffraction. Aggregates formed by incubation of beta-lactoglobulin in various alcohol-water mixtures at pH 2, and in water-trifluoroethanol (TFE) at pH 7, were found to be wormlike (similar to7 nm in width and 1 mum in length), smoother, and seemingly stiffer fibrils formed on heating aqueous beta-lactoglobulin solutions at pH 2 and low ionic strength, although there was little evidence for the higher-order structures common in most amyloid-forming systems. Time-lapse AFM also revealed differences in the formation of these two fibril types: thermally induced aggregation occurring more cooperatively, in keeping with a nucleation and growth process. Only short stiff-rods (

AB - As a prelude to experimental and theoretical work on the mechanical properties of fibrillar beta-lactoglobulin gels, this paper reports the structural characterization of beta-lactoglobulin fibrils by electron and atomic force microscopy (AFM), infrared and Raman spectroscopy, and powder X-ray diffraction. Aggregates formed by incubation of beta-lactoglobulin in various alcohol-water mixtures at pH 2, and in water-trifluoroethanol (TFE) at pH 7, were found to be wormlike (similar to7 nm in width and 1 mum in length), smoother, and seemingly stiffer fibrils formed on heating aqueous beta-lactoglobulin solutions at pH 2 and low ionic strength, although there was little evidence for the higher-order structures common in most amyloid-forming systems. Time-lapse AFM also revealed differences in the formation of these two fibril types: thermally induced aggregation occurring more cooperatively, in keeping with a nucleation and growth process. Only short stiff-rods (

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/9744228666

U2 - 10.1021/bm049659d

DO - 10.1021/bm049659d

M3 - Article

VL - 5

SP - 2408

EP - 2419

JO - BIOMACROMOLECULES

JF - BIOMACROMOLECULES

IS - 6

ER -